ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Sadly, the shock value of yet another troubling start from David Price yesterday is beginning to wear off.
An even worse dilemma has replaced it.
Now, we wonder if the Red Sox should stay far, far away from the trade market for a starting pitcher between now and Aug. 1.
Now, we find it hard to trust that the club has a true grasp of what it’s doing when it comes to finding — never mind developing — a starter who can win in Boston.
Now, we question what makes Dave Dombrowski any different than Ben Cherington.
Price, remember, was supposed to be that guy — that “ace” — who every five days would step in and consistently dominate an opposing lineup, stop a skid and/or keep the team on a roll.
That’s what that $217 million, seven-year investment in Price was all about, after all.
Instead, Price has pitched poorly — allowed four or more runs — once every three turns on average as a Red Sox.
Yesterday, on the heels of Rick Porcello’s impressive skid-stopping start the night before, which came the night after manager John Farrell called a team meeting to implore his starters to show consistent leadership on the mound, Price failed on all accounts.
He failed to lead, he failed to dominate, he failed to win.
And even though Farrell somehow felt it necessary to mention after the game that “overall (Price) probably had his best stuff of the season in terms of velocity and in terms of the shape of his secondary pitches,” Price quickly and accurately defied that judgment.
“Changeup, that’s probably the worst changeup I’ve had in probably a month,” said Price. “Curveball was awful. Can’t get my cutter or my slider where I want to. I’m just bad right now.”
Say it again, David.
“Bad. Again. I’m just putting us behind the 8-ball early on in games. I’m not setting the tone the way that I need to. It’s tough.”
More self-flagellation, please.
“It’s frustrating. It’s been my worst year. It’s unacceptable. I don’t care if I’m a rookie. It’s unacceptable.”
One more time, and make it hurt this time.
“I’m so much better than this. I’ve just got to get better. It’s crushing me right now, but I’ll get there.”
If only this were Price’s first, second or third time of putting himself through the ringer in a postgame scrum, but he’s done this often now after 17 starts with a 4.74 ERA that’s back on the rise again. It’s not enough to be the dutiful transcriber of his woe and misery.
Price may yet turn around his season and “get there,” but let’s stop fooling ourselves that he’s the savior the Sox needed.
Rather than declare his acquisition a “bust,” let’s instead step back and put the Sox’ foray into the starting pitching free agency pool into a broader context.
Price’s acquisition carries the taint of other moves that the Sox have made on the starting pitching front, moves that preceded Cherington’s reign, continued under his administration and have yet to change under Dombrowski.
That the Red Sox have not developed an ace since Jon Lester was drafted in 2002 remains the worst indictment of this franchise since the new owners came in after the 2001 season.
But since they traded away Lester and John Lackey in the middle of the 2014 season, there have been an overwhelming number of underachievers empowered by the team to start baseball games — see Clay Buchholz, Joe Kelly, Henry Owens, Allen Webster, Anthony Ranaudo, Justin Masterson, Brian Johnson.
One, Wade Miley, was traded this winter in the mistaken belief that the club had enough starting pitching. Another, Rich Hill, was not re-signed along similar lines. And Eduardo Rodriguez is now back to project status.
Sure, Steven Wright counts as a major success story. And Porcello has performed like a capable No. 3 starter for the most part.
But look at Price. Look at what he’s done. He’s front and center on that way-too-long list of disappointments. And now the Red Sox are on the hunt for another starting pitcher?
Forget for a second about what the cost would be in terms of prospects the team would have to give up. Think instead about the Sox’ recent track record in assembling a starting rotation.
That record speaks for itself.
And that record should scare the bejeezus out of anyone pining for salvation from the next Red Sox deal for a starting pitcher.
